SPREADSHEET TERMS AND SKILLS TO KNOWSPREADSHEET TERMS Spreadsheet- An application that can be used to do calculations, analyze and present data. If includes tools for organizing, managing, sorting and retrieving data and testing "what if" statements. It has a chart feature that displays numerical data as a graph.
Active Cell - The thick-bordered cell where you can enter numbers or formulas.
Cell - The space at the intersection of a row and a column.
Cell Address -the location of a cell on the spreadsheet identified by the column letter and row number.
Cell Range - a group or block of cells in a spreadsheet. Operations can be performed on a range of cells. The range highlighted below is B3 through D4. It is written as B3:D4
Cell Reference Error - If a formula is not correctly entered in a spreadsheet the error message #REF will appear in the cell.
Chart/Graph - Visual representation of data in a spreadsheet
Types of charts and what they are used for
Line Graph - A graph used to display trends by lines that connect points of data, used to show changes over a period of time.
Pie Graph - Circle graph divided into pieces that look like portions of a pie which show relationship of one set of data to the entire data (%).
Bar Graph - Used to compare individual or sets of values to each other.
Column - The vertical divisions in a spreadsheet that are named with an alphabetical letter.
Column Heading - The lettered box at the top of a column in a spreadsheet, used to highlight an entire column.
Data Entry Bar - The bar at the top of the spreadsheet used to enter data into the selected cell; data will appear in cell after pressing Enter/Return or tab.
Fill Series - To copy the contents of one cell to another range of cells
Formula Bar or Data Entry Bar--the bar at the top of the spreadsheet used to enter data into the cell that you have selected
Graph/Chart - a visual representation of numerical data; can present complex relationships clearly, and make trends and patterns identifiable.
Grid - Blank setup of rows and columns in a spreadsheet on which data is to be entered
Gridlines - The vertical and horizontal lines displayed in the body of a spreadsheet; the intersections of the gridlines forms cells
There are 3 types of data that can be entered into a spreadsheet
Label - The term given to the data entered as text in a spreadsheet.
Values - The term give to the data entered as numbers in a spreadsheet.
Formulas - Mathematical equation consisting of numbers, other cell designators, and symbols for mathematical operations. The result of the formula is displayed in the cell, the formula is displayed in the data entry bar. Formulas are calculated using the normal algebraic rules concerning order of operations.
Legend - Text that explains the meaning of colors and patterns used in a graph/char sometimes called the key.
Range/Series - One or more cells in a sequence. For example, a range could be an entire row or column, or multiple rows or columns. Identify a range by using the beginning and ending cell address (A1:A8).
Row - The horizontal divisions in a spreadsheet named with a number.
Row Heading - The numbered box at the beginning of a row in a spreadsheet, used to highlight an entire row.
Sort - Arranging information in a specific order (usually ascending and descending)
Ascending Order - Organizing or sorting information in order from smallest to largest, or A-Z or 1-9.
Descending Order - Organizing or sorting information in order from largest to smallest, Z-A, or 9-1.
Performing Calculations In A Spreadsheet
Formula - A mathematical equation consisting of numbers, other cell designators, and symbols for mathematical operations. The result of the formula is displayed in the cell - the formula is displayed in the data entry bar. Formulas are calculated using the normal algebraic rules concerning order of operations.
Formulas contain three elements
It must begin with an equal sign (=) to distinguish it from a label or value. The equal sign tells the computer to perform a calculation.
It must have operators - an instruction like add (+), subtract (-), multiply (*), and divide (/)
It must have operands - what the instructions operate on, i.e. values
Functions- Formulas that are already built into the spreadsheet program (Average, Minimum, Maximum, Sum).
Operand- What the operator in a formula works on (example: numeric value)
Operator - An instruction such as add, subtract, or multiply within a formula.
All formulas begin with an equal (=) sign and must have operands and operators.
Spreadsheets can also use shortcut formulas, known as FUNCTIONS such as SUM, AVG and DIV
See the examples below.
Johnny has the following grades and wants to know his average:
The formula for cell E1 would be:
=(A1+B1+C1+D1)/4 The parentheses indicates order of operation—add up the cells first, then divide by 4 (the number of grades)Or
=AVG(A1:D1) This formula tells the computer to average the cell range from A1 through D1.
Examples of Basic Formulas
=B4+B5 To find the sum of the contents of cells B4 and B5
=B4-B5 To find the difference between the contents of cells B4 and B5
=B4*B5 To multiply cells B4 and B5
=B4/B5 To divide cell B4 by B5
=SUM(B4:B10) To add cells B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, B9, and B10 (Note: The colon between the cell address represents a range)
=AVG(B4:B10) To calculate the average of B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, B9, and B10
Spreadsheet SkillsTo Know
Resizing columns and rows - To quickly re-size a column/row so that you can see all the contents within the cells, place your mouse on the border between cell headers until your cursor has arrows, then click and drag the divider to make it wider. Data in a cell that is too small may display ##### in the cell. To remove the error, resize the cell.
Deleting row/columns - Click on row or column heading which will highlight the entire row/column and then delete.
Add data using fill series
How to calculate using formulas
How to create a graph from spreadsheet
How to insert a new worksheet
How to rename a worksheet
How to Merge cells
How to format cells - Identifying the type of data found in the cells - Examples: show how time or dates will be displayed or how many decimal places will be displayed.
Example of types of date formatting in Excel. Choosing a type would display all data in the row/column in this format. Spreadsheet Tutorials
Use Excel or Numbers to practice spreadsheets
Spreadsheet- An application that can be used to do calculations, analyze and present data. If includes tools for organizing, managing, sorting and retrieving data and testing "what if" statements. It has a chart feature that displays numerical data as a graph.
- Active Cell - The thick-bordered cell where you can enter numbers or formulas.
- Cell - The space at the intersection of a row and a column.
- Cell Address - the location of a cell on the spreadsheet identified by the column letter and row number.
- Cell Range - a group or block of cells in a spreadsheet. Operations can be performed on a range of cells. The range highlighted below is B3 through D4. It is written as B3:D4
- Cell Reference Error - If a formula is not correctly entered in a spreadsheet the error message #REF will appear in the cell.
- Chart/Graph - Visual representation of data in a spreadsheet
- Types of charts and what they are used for
- Line Graph - A graph used to display trends by lines that connect points of data, used to show changes over a period of time.
- Pie Graph - Circle graph divided into pieces that look like portions of a pie which show relationship of one set of data to the entire data (%).
- Bar Graph - Used to compare individual or sets of values to each other.
- Column - The vertical divisions in a spreadsheet that are named with an alphabetical letter.
- Column Heading - The lettered box at the top of a column in a spreadsheet, used to highlight an entire column.
- Data Entry Bar - The bar at the top of the spreadsheet used to enter data into the selected cell; data will appear in cell after pressing Enter/Return or tab.
- Fill Series - To copy the contents of one cell to another range of cells
- Formula Bar or Data Entry Bar--the bar at the top of the spreadsheet used to enter data into the cell that you have selected
- Graph/Chart - a visual representation of numerical data; can present complex relationships clearly, and make trends and patterns identifiable.
- Grid - Blank setup of rows and columns in a spreadsheet on which data is to be entered
- Gridlines - The vertical and horizontal lines displayed in the body of a spreadsheet; the intersections of the gridlines forms cells
- There are 3 types of data that can be entered into a spreadsheet
- Label - The term given to the data entered as text in a spreadsheet.
- Values - The term give to the data entered as numbers in a spreadsheet.
- Formulas - Mathematical equation consisting of numbers, other cell designators, and symbols for mathematical operations. The result of the formula is displayed in the cell, the formula is displayed in the data entry bar. Formulas are calculated using the normal algebraic rules concerning order of operations.
- Legend - Text that explains the meaning of colors and patterns used in a graph/char sometimes called the key.
- Range/Series - One or more cells in a sequence. For example, a range could be an entire row or column, or multiple rows or columns. Identify a range by using the beginning and ending cell address (A1:A8).
- Row - The horizontal divisions in a spreadsheet named with a number.
- Row Heading - The numbered box at the beginning of a row in a spreadsheet, used to highlight an entire row.
- Sort - Arranging information in a specific order (usually ascending and descending)
- Ascending Order - Organizing or sorting information in order from smallest to largest, or A-Z or 1-9.
- Descending Order - Organizing or sorting information in order from largest to smallest, Z-A, or 9-1.
Performing Calculations In A SpreadsheetMultiplication *
Division/
Addition +
Subtraction -
Writing Formulas
- All formulas begin with an equal (=) sign and must have operands and operators.
- Spreadsheets can also use shortcut formulas, known as FUNCTIONS such as SUM, AVG and DIV
Johnny has the following grades and wants to know his average:See the examples below.
The formula for cell E1 would be:=(A1+B1+C1+D1)/4 The parentheses indicates order of operation—add up the cells first, then divide by 4 (the number of grades)Or
=AVG(A1:D1) This formula tells the computer to average the cell range from A1 through D1.
Examples of Basic Formulas
=B4+B5 To find the sum of the contents of cells B4 and B5
=B4-B5 To find the difference between the contents of cells B4 and B5
=B4*B5 To multiply cells B4 and B5
=B4/B5 To divide cell B4 by B5
=SUM(B4:B10) To add cells B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, B9, and B10 (Note: The colon between the cell address represents a range)
=AVG(B4:B10) To calculate the average of B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, B9, and B10
Spreadsheet Skills To Know
Example of types of date formatting in Excel. Choosing a type would display all data in the row/column in this format.
Spreadsheet Tutorials
Use Excel or Numbers to practice spreadsheets